If you are fortunate enough to know about your move ahead of time, this provides the opportunity to plan and save money in a number of areas. For a start you can invest more time in obtaining and comparing quotes from various international moving companies. 5-6 is an ideal number; it allows you to review a wide range of services and prices without the process becoming overwhelming.

The busiest time for international movers is the summer. Avoid moving at anytime when children are on holiday, Christmas, Easter, half-term etc.

Also, if you can, move around the middle of the month, (beginning and end of month is generally a busy time due to leases expiring).

Most international moving companies will work on a supply and demand basis and if the demand is high – prices go up. Book early and avoid the peak season.

Volume and, to a lesser extent, weight will dictate the cost of your move. Put simply – if you don’t need it, don’t pay to ship it. Many people end up shipping items/contents, which are never unpacked at destination, and then of course these unused items end up being shipped again, either back home or on to the next destination! Start to purge items as early as you can, 2-3 months prior to the move if possible. Start with larger furniture items, and then move onto contents. Organise a garage sale or start photographing items and post them onto Ebay or Dubizzle.  Keep your selected international moving company informed, and they will work with you on moving options.

If the duration of your relocation is likely to be 1-2 years, storing your main items with an international moving company may be a cost effective option to consider.

Any longer than 2 years and certainly if the move is for an indefinite period, avoid storage. Sell the items, donate, or give them away to friends.

Assuming you are moving most contents from your home, it is likely the packing and loading will take more than a day. If you have a large home, this could extend to multiple days.

It is possible to stay in your home until the final day. The moving company will be happy to leave your master bedroom relatively untouched as well as leaving you some basic essentials like a kettle and a stove, however it is likely the refrigerator and freezer will need to be unplugged the night before the final day.

Nevertheless a little forward planning and organisation can save the cost of a few nights in a hotel.

Assuming you are moving more than a few suitcases to a new continent, then shipment by sea is your only option.

Once your volume exceeds around 13-15 cubic meters / 460-530 cubic feet then it is possibly most cost effective to take your own shipping container, however, if you are willing to be flexible on the door to door transit times, discuss the option of shared containers.

There are two types of shared container services LCL and Groupage.

Read more on LCL and Groupage here